Daily Sprout

Josie Garthwaite

Feb. 10, 2009 - 12:24 PM PDT
Feb. 10, 2009 - 12:24 PM PDT

The Indium Problem: Doping silicon photovoltaic cells with indium can push efficiency up to around 40 percent — but the metal is rare enough that the world’s reserves would be exhausted within a decade if we continue using it at current rates. — Fast Company

How to Succeed in a Recession: If you want to change the world with clean technology, start by saving people money. That’s the key to startup success these days, according to Mohr Davidow Ventures partner Josh Green. — NYT’s Bits Blog

Post-Shakeout Solar: Wafer and silicon producers are likely to fare better during the looming solar shakeout than cell and module makers, which are suffering from low prices and oversupply, according to a new report. — Reuters

Fuel Cell Baby Steps: Medis Technologies hopes to soon manufacture a fuel cell big enough to run a laptop computer, and later one that could run a whole house. For now, it’s working on a version that ranges from 1 to 4 watts and is more suitable for phone chargers and flashlights. — NYT’s Green Inc.

Texas Battery Maker Might Come Home: Valence Technology, which currently produces lithium-ion batteries, mostly in China, is considering building a battery plant in the U.S. or Europe. At least one electric vehicle maker has expressed interest in the U.S. plant. — The Austin American-Statesman